Velominati Super Prestige: Vuelta a España 2017

Contador in the Red in 2014

Holy fuckballs. I’ve never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I’ve missed them entirely – which is another kind of incompetence entirely – but I’m shocked at how quickly this week blew by me. I think I have whiplash.

Be that as it may, the Vuelta is on our doorstep, and before you panic, I’ll leave the picks open until Monday so we have enough time to screw up our picks despite knowing who crashes out in the first few days.

This is actually exciting stuff. We have some serious grudge-matching going on here for the Vuelta. Chris Froome is double-talking, Bardet is trash-talking, and Contador is exit-talking. This could be interesting.

On the subject of Bardet, he is my new Schleck. I love how he looks on the bike, and he’s got a fighting spirit. And he rides a white bike, which is the color bike I’m obsessed with. And I’m equally sure he will never win a major bike race, on account that I fancy him. (Roman, if you are reading this, I ask your forgiveness.)

Alright, I’ll stop faffing about. Check the start list, get your picks in, and let’s get this party started.

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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View Comments

wiscot says:

Sep 8 2017 at 11:03 am

Damn fine result today! Does anyone deserve a GT stage win more than Thomas de Gendt? No-one, that's who. The guy's been busting his balls since the start of the Tour.

Nice effort by Bertie today. A lot to play for on the Angliru tomorrow. The final classification isn't set yet - although my VSP was doomed from the start.
Rick says:

Sep 8 2017 at 2:31 pm

@RobSandy

@Rick

@Cary

@Rick

This is the attitude that is ruining Grand Tours. If Lemond would have had this attitude he The Professor would have another Tour win.

I am not trying to pick on Kelderman, many riders seem to have this attitude these days.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kelderman-i-will-fight-for-the-vuelta-a-espana-podium/

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kelderman-nibali-and-zakarin-are-my-vuelta-a-espana-rivals-not-froome/

0

i blame the rise of data-driven cycling for this, and many other ills. data clearly works, though. Kelderman is likely correct in his assessment.

0

It is not just Kelderman. It is Uran sucking wheels the entire Tour, happy to finish second by less than a minute. Data isn’t it is the riding to finish second or third or tenth that is ruining the sport. I blame the everyone gets a trophy culture.

0

I guess the value of a result, any result, to the team and the rider also contributes. These guys will get a big paycheck for finishing top 5 or top 10 -why risk that trying to challenge the race leader?

If you get it wrong you can really fall from contention – see Adam Yates and Chaves.

0

That is my point. No one races anymore.
RobSandy says:

Sep 8 2017 at 11:49 pm

@Rick

0

That is my point. No one races anymore.

0

Not sure that's true. Zakarin and Kelderman have a pretty good low-key battle going on. But the only one's racing to win are Froome and Nibali, for sure. And Contador is racing everyone.

They need to have a good long look at Rule #70.
Rick says:

Sep 9 2017 at 8:42 am

Chapeau, Senor Contador.
RobSandy says:

Sep 9 2017 at 1:35 pm

@Rick

Chapeau, Senor Contador.

0

Hear, hear.

Also, if VSP gets scored, I have the top three in the right order.
Rick says:

Sep 10 2017 at 7:35 am

@RobSandy

@Rick

Chapeau, Senor Contador.

0

Hear, hear.

Also, if VSP gets scored, I have the top three in the right order.

0

Congrats to you, Sir. I had the first two in order and Zakarin in fourth. His attack yesterday sunk my chances.
Rick says:

Sep 10 2017 at 7:36 am

*sank my chances.
davidlhill says:

Sep 11 2017 at 2:05 am

@Ron

@davidlhill

@Cary

for me, excessive focus on hr and power has sucked a bit of the joy out of some group riding, and even watching certain races. i know people that cannot talk about anything else on a group ride. i have seen SO many crashes and other avoidable blunders on local rides due to lack of proper awareness and focus. indeed, the idea that made the Velominati rules, and this community so attractive to me initially, was the embrace of the ride, and the awareness and soft focus necessary to fully EXPERIENCE it. cycling on many levels, has turned into a live action SIMS game

Agreed. I for one have removed my bike computer. I let my phone record my ride so after I’ve finished I can see how far, how hard, how fast I went. During the ride I go with feel.

0

Uh, as someone who still loves the size, simplicity, and durability of plain old Nokia “brick” phones, how does this work? Do you need a sensor on the bike or can the phone do it alone?

I like to know distance and total time, for fun and for charting parts-life, and would LOVE to get even my basic computers off the bike. Please enlighten me.

0

Teocalli is right - I have a smartphone. My newer one is far better on battery life, especially as the screen isn't on. I start the ride, start the app, turn off the screen and put the phone in my back pocket and forget about it. I also take a small external battery as the law of states that the one time it does kill the battery is the one time I need the phone to work as a phone!
MangoDave says:

Sep 11 2017 at 1:14 pm

@Rick

@RobSandy

@Rick

Chapeau, Senor Contador.

0

Hear, hear.

Also, if VSP gets scored, I have the top three in the right order.

0

Congrats to you, Sir. I had the first two in order and Zakarin in fourth. His attack yesterday sunk my chances.

0

Nice. I had Contador correct in fourth, NITRO'd Froome and Nibbles.

Summing up the Vuelta, I'm still not a big Froome fan, but the man deserves respect. Got the sprinter's jersey in the end, too. Contador was fun to watch as he went out fighting. I keep thinking how the race would have gone if he hadn't had such a bad day on Stage 3.
Rick says:

Sep 11 2017 at 4:19 pm

@MangoDave

@Rick

@RobSandy

@Rick

Chapeau, Senor Contador.

0

Hear, hear.

Also, if VSP gets scored, I have the top three in the right order.

0

Congrats to you, Sir. I had the first two in order and Zakarin in fourth. His attack yesterday sunk my chances.

0

Nice. I had Contador correct in fourth, NITRO’d Froome and Nibbles.

Summing up the Vuelta, I’m still not a big Froome fan, but the man deserves respect. Got the sprinter’s jersey in the end, too. Contador was fun to watch as he went out fighting. I keep thinking how the race would have gone if he hadn’t had such a bad day on Stage 3.

0

I agree regarding Froome. He is a bike racer, period.